Secrets
by White Shade
Summary: Takes place after DM2. El Macho in prison, but what happens to his son? Margo's emotions are in a whirl. What's a poor girl to do?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"There, El Macho in prison, you girls safe, mission completed," Gru was satisfied returning home that night with his girls and Dr. Nefario. However, he couldn't help but notice Margo still looking really down in her spirit. It was probably that boy, Antonio. Gru did not know how to solve such a problem, for this was a new circumstance.

He parked in the garage, and Edith sluggishly got out of the car, Agnes following her to their room. Margo, however, didn't budge an inch.

"Margo, sweetheart, what is wrong?" Gru asked as he opened his door. The girl only sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt and slowly moving out of the garage and back into the house.

"Nothing," she finally sighed, and she took down her hair. Gru had never seen Margo do that before. Her hair was always up, every time he saw her, that was just how she looked. But now, her brown locks had a twist and wave to them, and Gru couldn't help but notice. Her expression did not match her hair's luminosity as the light shown upon her from the kitchen.

Gru followed Margo until she sat at the kitchen table.

"I'll be right back," Gru told her, whether she was listening or not. He was going to tuck Edith and Agnes into bed.

Margo could only find it in herself to sigh. Antonio had been so nice to her. Their talking went so well and she thought he actually liked her. She was taken right off her feet, almost literally. As Gru walked away, her thoughts had shifted.

_Wonder what he must be feeling right now? His father's in prison. I wonder if he knew his dad was a super villain? Maybe he didn't. Maybe he's really depressed right now and needs someone. Maybe he's had many girlfriends, but none really cared. _

_Hmm...wonder if he gets all the money now that his dad has a life sentence? Margo! that's a horrible thought...Okay, well maybe he does have a new girlfriend and she's supporting him right now..._

_Ugh, there's so many things he could be thinking. Maybe I'm just another one of the girls he's swept off their feet and decided to just let go. He was a real jerk to me. At the party, he just looked at another girl and ditched me. Like he didn't even care!_

_...Maybe he doesn't know any better._

"Margo," Gru's voice broke her thoughts, and she gasped like she hadn't any air for minutes. Her eyes looked up slowly to face Gru, a look of worry on his face.

"Tell me what is wrong," he sat down next to her.

"You're a guy, so don't be offended if I ask you this," she said, looking back to the table with her hands crossing each other. Gru awaited her question, staring at her unintentionally.

"How can a guy just look at another girl and decided to ditch the one he already has beside him?" Margo asked, her tone full of annoyance, anger, and most of all confusion.

"Oh...oh Honey, that's-that's something I cannot say," Gru replied apologetically. "I do not know what he was thinking, but Margo, he made a huge mistake."

She sighed once more.

"I guess I'm just-I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt," she told him. "I mean, now what is he going to do? His father's in prison, Gru..." She had looked up at him for a moment, which was plenty long enough for him to notice the water filling up her eyes.

"Well, he'll be taken into the system until he turns of age when he can claim his father's wealth," Gru told her. Margo stood up, letting a single tear emerge from her left eye first.

"No!" she exclaimed. "We have to do something, Gru! We cannot let him go into the system."

"There's nothing I can do for him," Gru said. "I am sorry, Margo. Why do you care so much about a guy who hurt you? There are plenty of others who will do the same thing."

Margo looked away again, another tear hitting the tile.

"...Because...because...I don't care what any kid has done in his life. He _never_ deserves to end up in the system," Margo had finally broken her point and was sobbing uncontrollably. Gru stood up, attempting to advance towards her.

"Margo, you are not in the system anymore, okay? It's all right-"

"No!" she shoved him away. "No it's not okay. You don't understand what it's _like_ in there. A hopelessness you could never describe. The feeling that no one wanted you so they sent you away. The only reason Agnes took it so well was because she couldn't even remember our parents. She was only two years old, Edith was five. But me...me, I was eight, and _I_ remember _everything_. And so will he. And I don't care that he broke my heart if it means he's going to spend four years of his life in the system."

Gru didn't know what to say, but Margo knew that this time, she couldn't just sulk in the corner with a chip hat while he waltzed away with another girl. He needed someone, and she wanted to make sure he had that someone. The girl picked herself up and ran into the spare bedroom, slamming the door in an emotional wreck behind her.

She jumped on the bed, crying for a while when Gru knocked on the door.

"Margo? Are you all right?" This time, she did not respond, and instead she allowed herself to keep crying. She needed this.

"Leave 'er Gru," Nefario said. "She jus' needs a lit'le time."

"I did not know this would upset her so much," he confessed. "She won't stop crying."

"Gru, it's a boy. She needs to think about it herself. I'd leave her for the night, but if you're really worried, check back in an hour or so, and I'll bet you she'll be asleep in that bed," the doctor said.

"Should I take her back into the room?" Gru asked, but the doctor shook his head in dismay.

"Let her wake up alone," Nefario said.

"How do you know so much about this?" Gru asked. Nefario shrugged.

"I guess if it was me and I really cared for someone and they betrayed me, I'd want time to think it over myself for a while. See what to do next with myself is all. I'm not tryin' to force you to do anythin' Gru. Do what you want, but that's what I would do."

"And you're probably right," Gru replied. "Thank you, Dr. Nefario." He began to walk away with a slight lift of burden on his conscious.

"Although, I do feel bad for that kid, what's his face-"

"Antonio," Gru replied.

"Yeah, 'im. Gotta be lonely now for sure, losing his father to prison and all that."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Gru walked into his own room, telling Nefario to have a good night's rest. He knew his night would not be the same as he had wished on Nefario, for there was no such thing as a good night's rest. No, not when one of his girls was upset as Margo was tonight. In fact, for what felt like hours, he stared at the ceiling, hearing Margo's broken sobs for brief moments at a time from all the way across the hall.

From a glance at the clock, Gru was shocked to see Nefario was right about Margo. Within two hours, she was quieter, and he could no longer hear her crying in a painful memory. He figured she must have gone to sleep by now.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Hey. the system is horrible and i would know . i'm sorry for whats happening to you. id ask how you r holding up but i already know the answer. if you need anything... dont b afraid to ask._

That was the text she had sent before finally falling asleep, but she was awoken by a horrible dream she could not remember. By that time, her phone had been lighting up for a little while now, and when she picked it up, there was a surprising response:

_Margo, i am truly sorry 4 what i did to u. no one cared to ask me about how i am or what im going to do. i feel like i am nobody now. i didnt know ud been through the system b4. wish u were here._

A small smile had inched its way to the corners of her mouth, and her eyes were once again swelled with tears. Antonio did still like her...a little at least! That text had only been sent 15 minutes ago. The night was rough for both of them. Margo slid her phone's touch screen over to unlock it and found her contacts. Text just wasn't good enough.

_Can u talk?_ She texted.

_Yea_

That was enough permission for her to dial the number.

"Hey," his voice was soothing to her, even if it was depressing to her ear.

"Hi," she said. "Where are you?"

"A place I don't like very much...my room," he replied. She sat up in bed.

"Oh, I'm in our guest room. Everyone's asleep."

"Same here. I'm with my dad's staff for the week until all that stuff is decided about me."

"The system is awful. I wouldn't wish it on anyone."

"Anyone? Even the guy who tore you apart?"

"No, not even to him," Margo said, smiling a little more. "Heh, you know, it's funny. I'm still in my party clothes."

"Yeah, me too."

"I didn't shower because I was afraid I would lose your smell on me." That sounded sooo pathetic!

"Haha. Margo, that's funny. I didn't shower either."

There was a moment of silence between them, yet neither of them wanted the conversation to end.

"You know, Antonio," she began. "I was adopted, if it wasn't obvious enough. All my sisters were."

"You were? So, none of you are really sisters?"

"No no, what I meant was, well, my sisters and I _are_ related by blood, but they don't remember the day we were taken away. They only knew the system."

"But, you knew differently huh?"

"Yes, yes I did..."

"Hey, Margo," he said, sounding nervous as he rolled himself over to the other side of his bed and pushing his hair out of his face. "I really don't want to be here. Whadya say say I come over to your place? Maybe spend the night?"

Margo was shocked beyond all of her reason.

"Um," she stuttered a while on the other end of their connection. "I don't know if that's such a good...idea. I mean-" she sounded like she wanted it the entire time, and Antonio was smiling on the other end, shaking his head. He could hear her emotions all too clearly.

"Come on. I'll stay in the guest bedroom," he pleaded with her. Margo was silent for too long.

"You're the only one who will even talk to me," Antonio said.

"Have you ever thought maybe that's because you can be a real jerk?" Margo asked rather politely.

She both heard and felt him sigh in her ear.

"Yes, yes I have thought of that," he replied. "I've been told that a lot lately."

"I don't mean to be hard on you," Margo said. "I'm just feeling so many things right now. How about you come over tomorrow? I'll let you in while my dad is working in the basement and we can hang out."

"What about your sisters?"

"Edith will be with my dad's...workers...all afternoon and evening if she can help it. Agnes-she'll be easy," Margo said. "Don't worry."

Another sigh on the other end.

"Okay, I will come tomorrow...but Margo-"

"Yeah?"

"I don't really want to hang up." She laughed a little.

"Neither do I."

* * *

A/N: I KNOW, I gave into the cute love story. I regret nothing. :p


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Gru paced up and down the kitchen all morning. Margo was usually awake by eight every morning. It was now nine-thirty.

"Gru, you have to stop this. Come on down to the lab, work with me here!" Nefario was begging him at this time. Edith already had made her way down and was playing ping pong with her nunchakus against Dave. Agnes was playing princess in the living room, but there was no sign of Margo anywhere except for the guest bedroom.

With that, Gru refused to do anything until Margo woke up.

Little to anyone's knowledge, Margo and Antonio stayed up practically all night on the phone. Three in the morning, last time Margo checked. When they actually fell asleep, their phones had to shut off on their own to reserve battery power. Gru's eldest daughter awoke with a restful mind and refreshed body. It was a morning that felt too good to be true.

She felt around the sheets for her glasses and found them settled in upon a sunlight spot on the near edge of the bed. A smile came to her face as she put them on to read the clock on her phone. It was nine-thirty, not too bad of a time to wake up considering her night. There was also a text message on her phone, sent about five minutes ago. It was quite possible that was what had woken her from her peaceful slumber. The text was from Antonio.

_Hey, good morning. Just woke up, thanx 4 last nite._

Margo asked if he was still coming over, a yawn passing through her system. After unplugging her phone from the charger she had set specifically last night, she began to walk towards the door. But, a sudden flashback of last night came back to her, and with the memory of Gru trying to tell her about Antonio, she simply stopped cold.

_I can't go out there,_ she thought to herself, knowing Gru would be waiting for her in the kitchen. Luckily, the guest bedroom wasn't too far from the girls' own room, but it was still a risky journey. Thank goodness for the weekends. Margo really wanted to shower, but although there was a bathroom within the guest bedroom, she still needed a change of clothes.

She had to face what was beyond the door. Throwing her phone on the plain bedspread, Margo took a deep breath. The phone was there to remind her that she would be right back, not run into Gru, and that everything would go as she wanted it to this morning. If not, this would escalate in a downward spiral all too quickly. One more deep breath.

There was no one in the hallway, and Margo only closed the door enough not to attract attention. She could hear Dr. Nefario's voice in the kitchen, trying to reason with Gru as he had done onto her last night, and Gru was resisting, though, with far less passion than Margo held inside. Quickly, her footsteps went unheard and her figure unseen by both of them. Margo only grabbed what she needed: another skirt (this time, black and light blue), her plain white top she usually never felt like wearing because it was more dressy then she liked, white socks, and finally, her black hoodie.

Success was such a relief.

Margo jumped into the shower, feeling that today would be a piece of cake. Within that hour she spent in the bathroom, Margo brooded over her choices. Last night, she had promised Antonio he could come over. Well, promise was a strong word, but that was what she felt, strongly, about him.

_Pathetic! _she exclaimed to herself in the boundaries of her thoughts. _A guy breaks your heart but then apologizes and you just go up and running again. Yeah, go ahead Margo, it's not like anything could happen this time. Stupid! But, he's so cute and I do care about him. No, Margo, stop that!_

The steam in the bathroom gave her a breather whilst she changed into her new clothes. The party was officially over. All of whatever that was went behind her. This was a new day. At least, that's how she kept herself going this morning, and so far things were working out fine.

"Margo?"

That little voice sounded very much like Agnes, and for her, Margo knew she could afford to take a break from her thoughts. When her older sister opened the door, Agnes stared up for many moments, relieved that Margo was still in the house, as though she had gone away for a long time and had only just returned.

"What is it Agnes?" Margo asked. Agnes blinked.

"Gru's really worried about you," the little girl replied. "Dr. Nefario can't even get him to talk to Lucy." Margo smirked at the thought of Gru caring so much, but also at the idea that Lucy might just be the person she needed for this problem.

"I know Agnes," Margo admitted. "But, I can't see him right now. Maybe later, but in the meantime, Agnes, I need you to do something for me."

"What is it?"

"I need you to tell Gru that he should go out with Lucy today," Margo said, making Agnes' face light up with an elusive joy. "And, and. I need you to tell him that I will talk to him after supper."

With Agnes gone, all that remained was Edith's questioning, not that Edith questioned Margo's relationship status that much. It was plenty obvious she was not the type to run after boys anytime soon. Still, Margo knew the importance or being prepared.

"Hey," Edith said as Margo walked into their bedroom again. She was putting away her weapons in the closet. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much," Margo told her. "Hey, just so you know, everything's cool, with Antonio and all."

"Oh! Oh yeah yeah," Edith said, shaking her head. "Boys."

"Yeah, boys," Margo felt forced to agree. "I didn't mean to ditch you guys."

"I know, you just really really liked him," Edith said. "Like, when Gru has to work or go out with Lu."

Margo nodded, happy Edith understood her point in all of this chaos. Whatever the circumstance, Edith always had Margo's back.

"So...if I got into an argument with Gru about Antonio, who's side would you take?" Margo asked. "I'm just curious."

At that question, Edith shut the closet and looked her sister in the eyes. She came up to Margo, touching her shoulder with sincerity.

"Yours," she confirmed. "Always yours, Margo. Gru is a great dad, and I love him and all...but I will always side with you. If I don't, you have my personal permission to take this hat off my head."

Margo smiled. Ever since Edith had gotten that old pink hat, she'd never taken it off. No one took off Edith's hat, ever. It was the only pink thing, besides her dancing leotard, that was ever worn by her to express her feminine side.

With almost everything settled, Margo felt even better about the day and was able to text openly to Antonio the entire morning. It was set for him to come over, and Margo even took it upon herself to confide in her sisters about this plan before any part of it was initiated.

_All set. Can't wait to c u. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yeah, all I've done today was write more of this. It's a great accomplishment for a relaxing day. Hope everyone's enjoying it so far.

**Chapter 4**

Edith knew Margo liked Antonio, even if it was for reasons she would never understand. Either way, Margo was still her sister, and she felt that protecting her from any and all harm was one of her own personal duties.

"I swear if he breaks her heart again, I'm gonna break his face," she mumbled to herself after Margo had left the room, confiding in her about bringing Antonio over. Now, it was all about distracting Gru.

Edith made her way back to the laboratory, passing the ping pong table straight by to see what Gru and Nefario were up to. Thank goodness the jelly and jam idea had been dropped. Now, it seemed they were inventing little mechanisms that would both make for good use around the house, yet double as extra security.

"Whatcha guys doin'?" Edith asked.

"Ah! Perfect timing Edith, come here," Gru was inviting towards her, so she followed through and did as he asked of her. This new device doubled as a hot plate and what Nefario called Flammin' Hot Candies. These candies would fire themselves at any sign of an alarm being triggered or unrecognizable DNA.

"Of course, we would program all of ours and any of your closest friends," Gru reassured her. "I just want to see if the hot plate works all right. Could you grab me something to cook with on the hot plate, please."

Edith went upstairs into the kitchen where she snatched a can of soup and a pot. The hot plate seemed fine to her. Hm...

"So, anyone the system doesn't know will automatically be like, zapped to pieces?" Edith asked.

"Well, not to pieces, but it will hurt and that's all that matters," Gru seemed confident with this plan, but to Edith, this was information to bring back to Margo. That could pose a potential threat, she thought.

After passing this information to Margo, Edith thought to make it her personal business to know all about Gru's new gadget.

Meanwhile, Agnes was busy in the girls' room playing with Kyle and her unicorns. Today, she was the fairy princess and her unicorns were her trusty sidekicks. Agnes was easily amused and very happy most of the time. To her sisters, she was the innocent and carefree spirit, which was impressive to them, considering what school has been teaching them about the world surrounding.

Most of all, Agnes' love for Lucy grew every time she came over to the house. She was especially excited for tonight because she knew Gru was going out later for dinner. This usually meant Dr. Nefario was in charge, but all the real power was invested in Margo. Perhaps even Nefario knew this, but it had always been that way. In the home for orphan girls, Margo pushed her and Edith forward. Margo was the true leader figure, and that was plain as day to the other two sisters.

Dr. Nefario didn't really do much anyway around them. He was a very friendly man, but that was really as far as it went: fun. He played shooting games with Edith, talked to Margo, and made things for Agnes. The last thing she had received from him was a metal unicorn. It was a small shape that had been carved out very nicely and it could hang above anything or on a hook in the bedroom. Agnes loved every gift he gave her.

Since El Macho's been locked in prison, all the worry around them seemed to finally vanish. Gru was no longer up to sinister plots, and Nefario's drive for evil had also drastically subsided since then. However, if the need should arise, Nefario was ready within his new developments in security systems. That seemed to be his work nowadays and with no complaint whatsoever.

When Agnes tired herself of her games, she went down to see Gru and Nefario testing something out.

"Are you going out with Lucy tonight?" she asked openly.

"Yes, yes I am, so you stay with Dr. Nefario all right?" Gru replied while he worked.

"Actually, Gru, I'm having your mother over tonight, so take out food is involved here," the doctor interjected.

"That's fine, that's fine, I'll be having take out myself," Gru said with a smile. "Just watch them." Nefario responded with vigor, but the girls knew what was actually going to happen. Not that Agnes cared usually, but tonight might be a different kind of night...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Margo made her presence known when Gru left the house. As a mystery to Dr. Nefario, Margo looked after her sisters, even prepping the stove for what looked like stir fry.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Nefario asked.

"Making stir fry," she replied simply as she steamed the vegetables.

"Would you mind putting on two more servings of that?" the doc asked. Margo would happily oblige, especially when she found out that Gru's mother would be joining in their crowd tonight.

Edith was in the basement, the lab all closed off for the night, and she was playing a shooting game, whose audio could probably be heard next door. Agnes was spending time playing with Kevin when the doorbell rang. Nefario went straight for it, bringing in Gru's mom just when dinner was set to be served.

Margo served all four of them plus herself, awaiting her moment to slip away with the extra plate she prepared. Antonio would be here any moment...

Not to jinx things, but Margo knew it was him once the knock at the door sounded in their ears. Agnes had finished her plate and was bringing it to the sink along with Nefario's and Mother Gru's.

"I'll get it," Margo said, walking hastily towards the door. "Set them up there Agnes."

Once she opened the door, a shock came through her entire body. This was the boy she hadn't seen in what felt like forever, and he looked heartbroken and drenched in confusion, maybe even mixed with a pinch of rage.

His dark hair was a little wet from the rain that was just beginning to come down. She let him in, since Gru was out, and gave him a plate of food when they reached the kitchen. Edith stared him down for a few moments, but soon left with Agnes to join Kevin and the minions in the basement for some fun.

"Thank you Margo," Dr. Nefario said, grateful for not having to resort to take out food tonight. "We'll be in the living room if you need us-hey, isn't that...Antonio?"

"Hey Doc," the boy was clearly upset over something.

"It's okay, Nefario, really," Margo said, putting a hand on the back of the chair he was sitting in. "I invited him here. He was just looking to talk, okay?"

"Oh, talking," Nefario was easily persuaded. "That's fine, just let me know if you need anythin'."

"Thank you, dear. This was lovely," Gru's mother said, ever so polite as she always was towards the girls. Margo liked this praise, but none of it mattered as much as Antonio's opinion and very soon, they were the only two in the kitchen. He ate whist she worked on loading the dishwasher Gru never learned how to use.

It was evident enough to say that Dr. Nefario wouldn't be much of a guardian, and tonight, Margo wasn't about to take the position either. Kevin would be the main babysitter tonight, at best.

"That was good," Antonio said, setting down his fork and looking back towards her. "And I mean that."

"Thanks," she said, a slight shade of blush creeping into her skin tone as she walked towards him. "I'll take that..."

"You know, you make pretty good food, and you look out for your sisters," he began as she finished up her work with the kitchen clean up. "Where are your biological parents, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well," Margo left the sink run as she washed her hands. "Last I heard, Mother was dead and Father gambles in the big city." The boy nodded, taking in the information.

"When did you know Gru was a villain?" he then asked.

"Ha, that was sooo easy, Gru was obvious about it once we reached the lab. What about your father? When did you know he was a villain?"

"...a few nights ago."

"What?!" Margo gasped. "You never knew? Never guessed? Anything? Nothing at all?"

She sat down at the table, hearing Antonio's story about when he was younger.

"My father always told me that my mother abandoned us and that she didn't care. He always had 'work' to do, as he would tell me. I knew we had the restaurant, so I guess I always assumed he was dealing with the finances and stuff of running the business. I never knew about his lab, but I knew about the security system he installed."

"Didn't he tell you what was behind it so you'd know why there was a system in the first place?" Margo asked.

"I never asked too many questions around my father. He's very good at, oh how do you say, changing the subject," Antonio explained.

"Ah. Well, he is also your _real_ father," Margo said. Silence ensued after her comment as she dried the dishes that needed hand washing and set them away to their proper place. Antonio just sat at the table, staring into the pattern of the surface while Margo closed the cabinets, announcing she was finished so the two of them could hang out now. To her preference, she'd taken Antonio to her room, where none of her sisters were around to bother them.

"You three...share a room?" he asked as she closed the door.

"Yeah, but it's not as bad as you would think," she replied, brushing the right side of her hair piece back behind her ear.

"Did you ever want your own room?"

"Not particularly. Edith pretty much minds her own and Agnes isn't too much trouble most of the time. You're probably used to your own room and all, so I'm sorry if this is weird for you. We have a guest bedroom if you would rather..."

"Please, show me."

Margo walked him to the guest room, revealing her remnants from earlier today.

"Lucy sometimes stays here," Margo explained. "This room is usually for her, but I used it last night." She gathered up some of her things and organized it a little and Antonio sat on the full sized bed. The room was comfortable.

They talked about Dr. Nefario a little bit, and his simple ways of understanding. Gru was much more of an opposite, as Antonio soon learned from the stories Margo had to tell. They lay back on the bed together, staring at a blank ceiling and talking about many things before Margo interrupted them to get something from her room.

In her absence, Antonio took off his leather jacket, revealing the purple T-Shirt he always seem to be wearing and allowing more exposure of his ghostly arms. Brushing away his hair, he also took out his phone to set it aside on the nightstand, putting it on silent in case the servants called him. They were exceedingly annoying.

Margo returned with a projector.

"I got this for my birthday a few months ago," she told him, placing it on the nightstand where she saw his phone and the jacket hanging up on the bedpost. She turned on the light show, proud of her new accessory.

"Cool."

That had made the ceiling far more interesting to look at, and now, since it was nearly pitch black outside, the room was even well lit. The colors in the projector were bright and spun around in a pattern situated amongst other patterns, making for quite an interesting display. She listened to Antonio as he gave quite a compelling speech about losing everything and how the people he thought would always be there suddenly fled the scene, acting as though they'd never known him. Margo knew this was because of his father and the fortune his family had once owned. Now, everything financially was going under Antonio's name, however he could not claim it until he was 18. That left him a good year without any direction as of where to go or what to do.

"Yeah, people will ditch, but your real friends will help you stitch," she said.

"A stitch?" he asked, making Margo blush a little.

"Oops," she replied. "I can explain that better. It's a phrase my sisters and I came up with. We had to make this metaphor for school about life. We used a quilting pattern and we would always say that friends made a stitch in the fabric, helping to hold it together, ya know?"

"Uh huh."

"So, the stitch just means that someone mattered or still matters in your life, enough to hold yourself together."

"That's a large metaphor."

"For an equally large life," Margo told him, watching him stare at the ceiling for a few moments. "So...that girl you danced with, did she ditch?"

"Totally ditched. Almost everybody did," Antonio said.

"Who stayed?"

"Well, Nefario..." Margo laughed at that one, making him smile in return because her laugh was so contagious. "and you."

"Oh come on, I can't be the only one who stayed. You must have family somewhere," she said, feeling that he was being too dramatic about this subject.

"I have some family in Mexico and cousins in Seattle, but they don't really contact us much. I think there was a feud a while back. I don't really remember," he explained.

"Huh," Margo said. "So you really are alone."

"Yes...yes I guess I am," Antonio rolled over to face Margo, placing his hand to her face. "But not tonight." Margo smirked, looking from his eyes to her wrists. Antonio's hand brushed from her face to the bottom of her chin as he lifted her face back up to meet his gaze.

The lights flew by his face, but she could see enough to know the look in his eyes.

"Margo..." he'd said her name slowly while tracing his hand from her chin to her neck to her shoulder, and down her arm (which had come forward a little) to finally rest on her waistline. There was a blush creeping very far into her face, and she could feel butterflies consuming her stomach. Antonio bravely came closer to her face until their bodies were touching. She couldn't believe this was happening!

Leaning his head a little to the side was the last thing Margo could see. She too then closed her eyes and propped herself up slightly.

And he kissed her.

Margo had plenty of air, but she soon realized it was possible to breathe while kissing. This was her first time, however she was a very fast learner. Everything about this was warm, sweet, and tasted of mint from the gum she spat out after dinner and the mints Antonio liked to chew on. Feeling herself melting down, Margo lazily brought up her free arm to surround his neck, making her body drop slightly, not that Antonio minded. All he wanted was to follow her, feeling that she was passionate with a kiss and he was loving every second of it. He hadn't kissed many girls, but this kiss was not like the rest. This kiss was an addiction, and so he followed as Margo dropped little by little until he was nearly on top of her by the time they released the kiss and opened their eyes.

Margo was speechless.

"Wow," his breath was nearly inaudible. Her stomach tied itself in an excited knot at the sound of his voice, and he could feel her reactions to his touch. This made him want her more, and from his longing for someone else to be with him, Antonio let himself fall to catch her lips again, letting the hand around her waistline move a little around her. The other hand was free now, even with their awkward positioning, so he placed his other hand to the other side of her waistline. Meanwhile Margo, who also found _her_ other hand, brought it up to wrap her arms around the back of his neck, clasping her arms together by her wrists.

Antonio was very close to her, though not on top anymore. His right hip was against her right hip, but his body wasn't too uncomfortable in such a position. The rest of him was occupied anyway. Her body was relaxing, as was his own, making the scenario not as intense and fearful as they thought it to be at first. As they held this kiss, he brought his right leg over to her other side in order to better position himself. When her eyes opened, Margo took well to the sight, overtaken by her own breathlessness. She'd never felt like this before. Suddenly, she felt unsure of herself and the whole thing, and the worry could be traced into the pits of her stomach. She had to ask.

"Ar-are you serious about this?" her voice was quieter than usual.

"Yes," he replied in the same volume. "Yes, Margo of course. Please...kiss me again." It was strange to hear him ask such a thing of her, but she was more than happy to oblige. Gently, she pulled him closer to her until his chest was against hers and she had leaned up to meet him early, wanting another kiss as badly as he did. The possibility for her to choose a favorite part of this did not exist, but the way he touched her made her feel like she was the only girl left in the world. Antonio likewise had never felt this strong of a feeling about a girl before in his life.

An urge pushed her to move her hands down along his back. She wanted to feel more of him, and his hands moved slightly above her waist and around her stomach until he brought up the courage in himself to make the next move. While one of his hands were around her waistline again, Antonio shifted them onto their sides again. Though this did not interrupt their kiss, his next move did. His other hand slowly went lower than her waistline. Margo's giggle broke the kiss, but she sounded happy.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking at him as he pulled her a little closer.

"Satisfying my curiosity," he replied with a smirk. "Your backside is a curious things you know."

"M-mine?" Margo was a little shy, which made him more aware of what was happening. He laughed quietly.

"Yes, yes yours," he said, sealing her lips with another kiss before she had the chance to say anything, not that she wanted to. New feelings were developing inside of her, and she loved these feelings. So much so that she lifted one of her legs to go over the top of his. With her own hands, she let them come back around to rest on his chest, forcing the two further apart. At this time, she looked straight into his eyes, where he smirked and gave her a mischievous look.

Suddenly, he flipped himself onto his back, letting Margo try the top position, making her laugh.

"I think my hair is too long for this," she said, watching her hair fall to her neck. Antonio reached up to her hair and pulled the ponytail from it, finally able to see the full length of her hair. It was now draped over _his_ neck.

"Your hair is so beautiful. Why don't you keep it down like this?" he asked. Margo let herself fall a little more on top of him to hold her weight.

"I don't know. I just never did I guess. Easier just to tie it up than mess with it in the morning," she answered.

"Ah, but you see you don't even have to mess with it. It's perfect, right now."

Margo smiled, shaking her head but believing his words nonetheless. As she attempted to roll off of him, he would not allow it, keeping her on top.

"Stay like that, just for a little while longer," he said.

"Why?" she asked, propping herself up with her palms against the sheets. Antonio placed both of his hands on her rear side.

"What's so great about that?" she asked, look back there for a moment.

"I like it," he replied simply, making her giggle again. He sighed and they kissed again, his hands remaining where they were. Margo did get her spot back, beside him, eventually. She yawned, spreading her tired feelings to him, but he didn't seem to mind too much.

"Can I stay?" he asked.

"I promised, didn't I?" she said, more so than asking. He yawned again, watching her bring herself closer to him and bringing the sheets up from beneath them. Antonio took off his purple shirt and removed his belt and chain from his jeans, placing them on the floor.

Thinking ahead, Margo slipped out of the covers and locked the door to the room, just in case Gru would think to check on her when he got back from his date with Lucy. Thinking of which, it had become quite late, so Margo decided to unlock that door again.

"I'm going to go check on my sisters. I'll be right back. I promise," she told him. He nodded while she shut the door. He would make himself more suitable for sleeping by the time she got back, but he was determined to stay awake until her return.

Margo checked their room to see that neither of the girls were there, but going downstairs, she saw Agnes curled up on the couch with Kyle. Shaking her head, she picked up her sister and set her into the bed, covering her up and taking Kyle in after her, laying him right next to the bed.

Next, Edith. She was in the basement until her older sister came to remind her of the time.

"You can stay up, but I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom tonight," Margo said.

"Again?" Edith asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Please, Edith, understand. I just don't want anything to do with Gru yet," Margo begged. Edith stared down at the floor for a moment before agreeing with her sister. Margo took her exit, thanking Edith for her keeping secrets recently. Then, it was back to Antonio, after she changed into her own pajamas and brought a change of clothes into the room with her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

As she locked the door again, she couldn't help but notice Antonio had removed his shirt completely and his jeans were loose-fitting on him after he took off all the accessories. She smiled, seeing him still awake as he turned to meet her gaze. For her pajamas, Margo wore a blue top and plaid patterned matching pants.

Crawling into bed next to Antonio was the best feeling in the world, and as his arm came to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Thank you," he whispered, turning off the light show. "I do not feel alone anymore."

Her hand came up to cover his chest around her.

"No problem. I like being with you," she kicked herself inside for stating the obvious, but she couldn't think of anything else to say at that moment. "You're warm." He curled in close, kissing her neck once, but he made sure he lingered the kiss there for as long as he could. A shiver came down Margo's spine, spreading throughout her entire body so fast that even a soft breath was drawn in a little quicker than usual out of pure surprise. With her eyes closed, the moment was more magical.

"Good night, Margo. Eres mi todo."

Gru returned that night around ten in the evening, but Edith was still wide awake. Agnes slumbered peacefully, and his mother had long gone home. Nefario was just headed off to sleep himself when Gru walked in the door. Meanwhile, the middle child had just grabbed an apple from the refrigerator.

"Ah, nice to see ya Gru," Nefario said, making Edith look back by the front door. "How was it?"

"We had a nice time," was all Gru seemed to be saying about the matter. "Is Margo still awake?" Edith knew she had to cover for her sister.

"No, she went to sleep a long time ago," her voice emerged from the kitchen.

"And you are still up?" Gru asked. Nefario was finally off to sleep.

"Of course," the girl replied. "I'm always up. How as your date with Lucy?"

"Good, good, it went very well."

"Did you kiss?"

"No, now stop asking questions. My turn to ask the questions," Gru sat Edith down to talk about Margo. He asked about her behavior and whether or not Antonio was involved.

"Well..." Edith began. "That argument you had with her sounded pretty intense. She's just stubborn. But, I wouldn't have mentioned the whole adoption thing. That was bad."

"But she's not alone anymore, and besides he dumped her."

"Exactly."

"What do you mean?" Gru was confused.

"She was dumped, so her feelings are all screwed up, you know. They could still totally get back together," Edith said. "Not that they would."

"Right, they wouldn't."

"Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless he did something super romantic. Margo loves all that stuff, and her feelings..."

"What? No, this cannot happen! Edith, what would steer her away from this boy?"

"Give her some space."

"Space? What does that prove?" Gru asked.

"Just do it. Nike style, ya know."

Gru sighed, thinking to highly consider Edith's advice. When he went into the girls' room again, but he could only see Agnes. He'd thought perhaps he'd just missed Margo slumbering in the next bed.

"Where is Margo?" Gru asked, rushing into the kitchen where Edith had finally finished her apple and was throwing it away.

"Sleeping," Edith replied.

"No, she isn't. I checked your room." He was pointing a finger at her.

"I never said she was sleeping in our room. She's in the guest bedroom, like yesterday. You can't get in though. She locked the door. I tried earlier."

Gru was becoming very frustrated over this nonsense, and Edith liked to be confusing once in a while, which was not proving to be too funny at the moment. While he dressed for bed, he tried not to think about Margo too much. He had successfully kept her off his mind for his entire date with Lucy, but he vowed to himself that when he got home, he would deal with the problem. Now, the problem could not be solved because he stayed out too late with Lucy!

Sighing, he realized all he could do was get some sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, the ninja of the house crept to the girls' room where she dug out a pad and pen. She wrote:

_Margo, _

_I told Gru u needed some space. Don't know if he'll give it to u, but I tried. Figure out what ur gonna do and quick._

_Edith_

_P.S. I don't think Antonio is so bad. Just be careful. Hugs._

That was the best she could do before sleep, so she slid it under the guest bedroom door, making sure it was through far enough for Margo to see it the next morning.

With the peaking of the sun onto the blue curtains, the day really did feel like new. Blindly, the girl reached for her glasses and when she could see, never felt so alive. Antonio was still slumbering beside her and beyond him, a silent phone full of messages. She smiled, looking down at him as she sat up, admiring his bed head of hair and peaceful expression. Curious, Margo reached for his phone across his side of the bed, retrieving it successfully without causing any disturbance.

It was eight in the morning, a Sunday morning. Things were actually quite dire now that she thought about the date. School would be starting up soon. It was already August, and Margo would still be in the same school as Antonio. Neither of them had met before since the school was so large, but at the mall, anything was fair game.

Turning her attention back to his phone, she scrolled around to see his contacts. There were a lot of girls, not his relatives, but she clicked through them just to see the conversations. Even though this was snooping, Margo thought to check her chances with this guy.

Lots of the conversations had only started recently, and none of the girls really replied to him. Most of them went as follows (or in that general direction: hey, hey, can u talk, no not to u/who is this/aren't u that kid whose dad was a villain?/get lost. Some them were harsher than others. Girls were a cruel species, but those that she recognized were in fact a shallow bunch. They were attractive, they dressed very openly, but they were real nasty. Shaking her head, Margo looked at him, unsure if her next move was the right thing. Talking herself into it, she set the phone to a bunch of contacts, highlighted all the girls, except herself, that she could tell were not relatives, asking only one question:

_I need someone to talk to. Things haven't been going so great and I need a friend right now. Can u spare a few hours?_

She sent out the message, looking at him as she pressed send. Then, she turned her attention to the guys in his contacts. To them she typed:

_Hey, what's up? Do u have time to hang 2day? I need some advice._

Within moments, messages were floating in. Margo was impressed by how popular this guy was and how much he had lost, all seemingly overnight. One girl texted: _sry loser, ur not my tipe._ One guy replied: _cant 2day ive got stuff 2 do._ But the worst text by far was from Mindy, a girl with the main attractions and looking for someone to spoil her like a puppy. This was a girl who no guy would be caught with unless they wanted to be popular and only popular. She was never serious but she just gave herself away, and it was even rumored that she got cash for it too. She texted the following: _Look ur poor now and i dont go out with guys who r poor. ur the worst guy ive ben with becuse u dont know how 2 treat girls. u called me a slut in front of my bffs so im replacing u with someone who can manage a relationship. btw im 2 god 4 u. just admit ur gay already and be part of the lesser._

So appalled was Margo at this message, she moved on to the next ones, seeing if any could measure up to that shallow of waters. When she discovered that no one topped Mindy, she send that girl a special message:

_Hi Mindy this is Margo. Just because someone tells you the truth doesn't mean they cannot manage a relationship. Everyone knows you sleep with guys for quick sex and cash, so don't act like it's a big secret. Oh, and get a dictionary. You are not a 'god' and I can't wait to tell people that you think gay people are 'lesser.' They are fun, ordinary people, so stop offending them. So you can just shove your overly-dressed-in-make-up mouth up your pretty little princess ass and become part of the solution instead of the problem with this world._

To the rest, she explained that her message was a test to see where Antonio's real friends were, making the last line: _you have been judged,_ just to make herself feel like someone who could really make a difference. Some tried to spite back and to those who did not reply, she merely waited to hear something from. Antonio really wasn't kidding, the only girl that replied to his plights before was herself. Hopefully, all of this would blow over before school started. Perhaps she started a mass text of sorts, but she was proud of her message. Margo also dismissed the missed calls from the servants and all the messages about where he's been for the past 12 hours. A few more messages trickled in after she'd gotten out of the shower, but most of them didn't even know who he was. For those people, she deleted their numbers from his phone. This was for his own good, but at the same time she felt awful for snooping.

By the time he woke up, Margo was sitting on the bed with a book and it was ten in the morning.

"Hey," he mumbled.

"Hi, I should probably tell you what I did..." Margo blushed a little. Antonio was curious, but he didn't sound mad...yet.

"I went through your phone, and I messaged all the people in it that you really needed a friend. Most of the responses were horrible, so I sent them a message back explaining that it was actually me and not you. I saved the worst one on your phone in case you wanted to see it, and the people that didn't know who you were, I deleted."

"You went through my phone?!" he exclaimed sitting up. Now he was upset.

"I'm sorry, it was blinking and the servants were calling, so I dismissed their calls and messages so the phone would stop lighting up. I probably shouldn't have, but I got curious. You can go through my phone if you want as payback..." she looked down at the bedspread where her own phone was lying.

Antonio blinked for a few moments.

"No," he sighed, causing a surprised look on her face. "Was their anyone who really responded nicely?"

"No, unless you think being called a loser is nice. Some people didn't respond and others just didn't know who you were. The messages are all there, but I deleted their numbers. I didn't want to delete any messages you wanted to keep for some reason," Margo explained.

The boy reached for his phone, scanning through it as Margo finished the chapter in her book. He sighed, setting it down. She put a book mark in, watching him.

"Shocked by how many people don't care?" Margo asked.

He nodded. "Was this... because I had money?"

"You bet," she replied. "All for money. I bet all those girls only wanted to hang out with you because you were rich. Believe me, growing up without any money at all, you find who your real friends are."

They had another silent moment. Margo knew she had to tell Gru eventually about Antonio, but she really didn't want to. Gru would be furious with her, not to mention her not telling him anything else. Sighing though, she knew it was inevitable...eventually.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

To Margo's exquisite luck, there was word in the house that Lucy was coming over. After everything that had happened, Margo thought to tell Lucy before Gru. This was a time for some girl advice, something Gru just couldn't provide.

"So, you want me to tell you what I would do?" Lucy needed such confirmation on this bizarre scenario. When Margo nodded, Lucy told her to tell Gru, but that Antonio would have to enter the adoption agencies eventually. The girl's disappointment rained all over her face. Legally, Antonio only needed someplace for a year. It was more like temporary adoption, since everything would go to him anyway at the age of 18.

When Lucy heard this, her tune changed a little.

"Talk to Gru, see what he says..." Lucy was pondering. Margo nodded, returning to the guest bedroom, hoping Lucy wasn't sleeping over tonight. Margo didn't have it in her to talk to Gru though, and she really didn't want to. Gru would send Antonio away for sure, especially after the party incident, and she knew he just wouldn't understand.

Thus, Margo's decision was to wait just a little while longer. Antonio told her that his birthday was in nine months. Quite a ways away, but enough time to cause trauma to him socially and to meet other girls.

The two spent another night in the gust room, and while Antonio showered, Margo took his clothes to lauder them before Gru came home with Lucy. Agnes caught her taking the jacket out of the wash, her last piece.

"Gru just pulled in," she said sweetly. "Better hurry." Great. Now even Agnes knew! They all knew, well everyone except Gru. Edith probably told Agnes to keep her mouth shut, but Margo took the chance and ran with the jacket.

Antonio had most of his clothes on, all that she was able to put through the dryer anyway. He had clean underwear, jeans and T-shirt, so that would have to do. She couldn't put the jacket in the dryer anyways. Margo's face lit up when she realized the washer hadn't been turned off, and as she opened the door to the room, she whispered to Edith.

"I didn't turn it off!"

"I'll get it."

Edith just reached the washer when Gru came around the corner and Lucy was getting ready to spend the night. Their date had seemed to take a turn onto the wild side and it was evident Lucy wasn't feel up to par.

"Edith, what is dis?"

"I bumped it playing Ninja," she lied, turning the dial. "Just came to shut it off." Gru didn't seem too concerned, but Edith wasn't sure he completely bought that story. Either way, it was there to stick, and she had no choice but to stand by it.

Margo could hear Lucy coming her way for the guest room, so she pushed Antonio off the bed.

"He'll be here any minute. Bathroom!" she whispered, so that was where Antonio went while Margo tended to Lucy. She really didn't look so good.

"I think...I should take...the couch," Lucy mumbled as Gru walked in. Margo told him what she'd just said, and based on a simple evaluation of her condition, Gru approved of this. However, when Margo asked what had happened, Gru refused to tell her and instead dance around the subject.

Dr. Nefario was wide awake and procuring something for Lucy to drink. Margo had led Lucy into the living room while Gru checked on the doctor. A text came into her phone.

_Lu is sooo drunk!_

Her eyes widened. Margo had never seen anyone drunk before, but apparently he knew more about this than she did. She sent a quick text telling him to stay in the bathroom with his jacket hanging up until she came back. Antonio also requested food at this time, which Margo reluctantly gave into. Nefario came up with his remedy and Margo snuck off with a bag of Doritoes and a bottle of water. There was no time to make anything substantial.

"We have to figure something out," she said. "I can't keep doing this. He'll find out eventually." He accepted the bag of chips and the water. The door was shut and locked again, but this couldn't keep forever.

"Maybe I could get a job?" he suggested.

"And manage school?" Margo asked, her head turning to the side.

"Weekend work," he said. "I could probably find something, anything."

"Either way, you're going to need more clothes," Margo said. "You have to go home eventually." Antonio thought for a few moments.

"Ok, I'll go back for a few things, but only if you come with me. We'll have to sneak in, but that's the easy part. It's getting back out that is hard," he told her. "I can stay here for a while, you can sneak me food or I can buy those quick meals. I'll work on the weekends so Gru doesn't suspect I'm here."

"Gru will know. He cleans the house...unless we put your stuff in my luggage cases We store those in here and Gru wouldn't go through that. We'll use Edith's for your backpack and school stuff."

"Okay. Then, how do I live here, but not live here?" Antonio asked.

"Don't use Axe spray. That's an instant giveaway. You have to spray that off the premises. I sometimes shower in here anyway, since Edith takes the other bathroom more often. Since we get up the earliest, I don't like to disturb people. Gru is usually up though too..."

"He doesn't come in while you shower though, does he?"

"No of course not."

"Then that's all right. I'll get ready first, then you'll get ready to cover my tracks." Margo nodded. So far, she couldn't believe she was doing this, but the plan seemed pretty legit.

Margo laid on the bed. "Then, if you work, how are you supposed to come in and out? Only I have a key and we can't copy it."

He sat on the bed, thinking some more. Margo sat up.

"The minions! Of course. We'll have them take care of this room for the cleaning! Duh. Gru doesn't clean the house unless the staff are on break. That should be over for a long time now. I forgot. We just have to keep the minions under hush now..."

"The way you say that...hard?"

Margo nodded. "I think if we tell Kevin and Tom, it should be fine. They can usually keep things down when I ask them to. Ok, that's covered. You shouldn't need a weekend job, but if you want one, go ahead."

"I think it'd be good for the weekends. You can't be here all the time with me."

"True."

"I've got it. That food place around the corner. It's close enough so I'll walk and if I need to get away from the house for any reason, I can go there. They're hiring I think," he said. Margo smiled.

"Ok, that's in place. If you get that job, it's all well then. You can work weekends, have a getaway, we'll keep the minions hushed and they clean the room. Gru will never know because Kevin and Tom will surely be there most of the time. He only pays attention when Lucy stays over, but she took the couch. We'll get up, you'll get ready first, and I'll cover your tracks, and I'll sneak you food. I'm sure Kevin and Tom will too," Margo laid out the plan.

"Sounds good to me."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Kevin and Tom seemed apprehensive at first, but Margo reassured them that if anything happened, it was all on her. The minions nodded, reaching out from their pockets. It was an extra house key. Margo's eye's shot up. Brilliant! She passed the key to Antonio who was off to an interview this afternoon, and afterwards he would run back home and pack some clothes up. Margo came home as usual, waiting for her sisters to come home. She spent lots of time in the guest room that Antonio was taking over.

Gru was keeping busy , with no idea what Margo was doing in his own home.

"I must be a real sucker..." she said to herself, but Antonio was just sneaking back in.

"Oh? Why is that?"

Margo jumped, turning to face him, smirking. "To be doing this. To even be talking to you after what you did to me..."

"I know, but I'm kind of glad you are," he replied. "I'd have nowhere else to go." There were three bags strapped to him, but only two of them contained clothes. The other was filled with supplies like deodorant, shampoo, that sort of thing. There were three knocks at the door. Margo cracked it open, it was just Tom.

"Ok, three knocks means it's clear, just you. Four knocks means two of you, and the Barbershop Quartet means Gru is outside the door. Got it?" Tom nodded, holding up rags and a broom.

"He's going to clean the room now," she told him after shutting the door.

"That is fine. I'll shower."

Margo nodded, sitting on top the bed, asking if he wanted the clothes anywhere. She was just hanging them up leisurely as he told her he didn't care. Margo thought to herself. Lucy, Edith, Kevin, and Tom, those are the people that know. Agnes probably knows too but Edith shut her trap real well.

Whenever Lucy came over, she'd put her things into the spare room as normal, pretending she fell asleep on the couch from the TV every time. Antonio became very good at organization. You wouldn't know the room even belonged to him, and with Margo in there so often, things weren't exactly perfect for Edith and Agnes.

"She never comes out," Agnes complained. "We don't even play anymore."

"I know, but it's only for a little wile," Edith told her. "Besides, if Gru finds out, we're all dead."

"But Lucy knows, she'd protect us with her lipstick," Agnes argued.

"Not for long. We'll just be so dead, ok? That's it. Margo is counting on us. This means a lot to her, we can't screw up ok?" Edith looked at her sister.

"Okay," Agnes was clearly disappointed about the situation, but Edith offered herself up as a playmate in the meantime, leaving notes for Margo every now and again. Gru's concerns were growing by the day, even though Margo couldn't tell. She only had Edith's notes, but they seemed to be getting more cautious and elaborate.

Antonio had snuck off to work when Edith came in to talk to Margo.

"Seriously, he's getting worried, like really bad," Edith said. "Come on! School's even started up."

"I don't know why. It's not like I never talk to him. I say goodbye in the morning, go around, and it's fine. We just don't talk at dinner," Margo said.

"Because you're never there! Gru keeps asking if we talk, and I tell him no, because we are technically passing notes, so I'm convincing myself I'm not lying to him."

"You're not. I am," Margo said. "I'm sorry to have put you through this."

"And Agnes, all she wants to do is play with you. I'm not good enough anymore, imagine that. Oh, and Nefario wanted me to tell you that he wants to see you tonight, so you'd better leave a note for Antonio. I'll let him in," Edith explained.

"You're not...mad are you?" Margo asked. Edith sighed.

"No, you're out of the room enough, I'm just worried what Gru's gonna do. He's like, getting desperate and stuff, asking Lucy stuff and Agnes stuff she doesn't even know about because I don't tell her. I...just don't know if we can keep going."

"Believe me, Edith, things weren't like I expected either. We usually sit and do homework, believe it or not, because we each fall behind somehow and we have to keep up the grades. Antonio is saving up slowly for stuff he needs, which I'm glad it's enough. Maybe...if we can get Gru out of the house, Antonio can come down for dinner. Nefario knows. I told him again to make sure," Margo said. There was a knock at the door, and none that sounded like Kevin or Tom.

"Margo?" It was Gru, sounding desperate. "What's going on? Open up."

"Just me!" Edith replied, opening the door. "Chill."

"Can I speak with Margo please?" Gru asked, and Edith sat herself down on the bed next to her sister.

"Sure." Margo remained silent. Gru took a deep breath.

"Alone?"

"Oh. Okay." Edith stayed put, looking at Margo, who then nodded and stood up, walking out of the room. Gru followed, and this time, Edith shut the door.

"Why is she shutting that door?" Gru asked.

"I don't know. Nunchucks probably," Margo replied, and she kept walking into the living room where they sat down.

"Margo, I know the whole boy thing has been hard on you but-"

"Please, I'm fine," she told him, pushing up her glasses.

"Still, why do you shut yourself in that room everyday? Don't think I don't notice you're practically living in here. You never talk to me anymore, what is going on inside your head?" Gru was worried, and Edith was right. Margo stared down at the floor.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked. Nefario came bursting into the room.

"I finished the new gadget! Security will be so tight now!" he beamed, but Gru glared. Edith showed up behind Nefario, tapping him on the shoulder and scaring him. He led her down into the lab, but told Gru and Margo they had to be programmed. Margo and Edith exchanged a glance.

"I have my DNA on this piece of tape," she held it up, and Margo was relieved. It wasn't Edith's, and her sister had winked at her. Nefario and her left the room.

"Margo, just say something," Gru said. "Why don't you speak to me?"

"I do. I'm just seeing what it's like with my own room, that's all," Margo replied.

"You...want your own room?" Gru asked, his eyebrows rising.

"I just wanted to see what it was like, so I've been practically living in the guest room, acting like it's mine. Edith and Agnes don't seem to mind. Lucy could have taken it when she stayed over, but she usually fell asleep on the couch instead," Margo explained. She could feel the lie in her heart as she felt the drum vibrate throughout her entire body.

Meanwhile, Edith gave Nefario Antonio's fingerprints.

"He's programmed now," Nefario assured. "You know, you're fast on your toes."

"Thanks," Edith replied, placing her own fingerprint into the scanner and tossing the tape.

"You know, if we just told Gru, he'd be furious, but we could say it's only been a week," Narfario suggested. Edith shook her head.

"I feel like I'm lying all the time, keeping him here. I don't mind because Gru never asks, but it's killing me inside," she told him.

"I know, and you know what, I think we should tell him. School's here, and how do we do this for the entire next summer? Margo probably is panicking right now over that," he said.

Edith agreed to telling Gru, but this wasn't going to go well.

She knocked on Margo's door, waiting for her sister to answer. "It's me."

Margo let her enter, explaining her long talk with Gru.

"We need to tell him." Antonio was just coming out of the shower.

They all knew it, and it had to be done. Lucy was going to help, Edith had talked to her on the phone before. Nefario came up that night to chat with her privately with Antonio.

"Look, we all know this isn't going to go well, but we are all with you here. We are on your side, Margo. Gru won't fire his minions, he won't fire me, and we won't let him kick out Anty here," Nefario said.

"How? Gru has done nothing but hate my guts since I first met Margo," Antonio said.

Nefario knew that, but he really pushed the teamwork part.

"You are not alone," he told them. "As long as you're happy Margo, but I don't think Gru will want you to be sharing a room with him. Just sayin'."

"I know, and that's what I'll miss most. He's going to soooo hate me for this."

"Not just you, dear, everyone who knew and didn't tell him. He'll be mad at me, you, him, your sisters, Kevin, and Tom."

"Why did you guys let me get this far?" Margo asked, leaning against Antonio.

"Because, we knew you could handle yourself, but Gru doesn't want to believe that. It's gone on for long enough now. I'm sorry, but if it makes ya feel better, I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, Doc," she smiled.

"And you," Narfario looked at Antonio. "I hope you learned a thing or two about sneaking around, 'cuz I'm gonna need that." Narfario was already giving Antonio the ok to live in this house. Edith was accepting him too, very slowly. Antonio smiled. He could have lived here, if Gru were not around all the time, but no, this was never going to work. All of them could see that.

"My friends were never really my friends, and I don't know what I would do without Margo. I'm stuck at home, but honestly, I'd sell the whole property if it meant I no longer needed to live up to my father's reputation," he told him.

"Good, but ya know, being rich doesn't mean you have to be evil. You can just afford more evil stuff. The estate would be nice to have, but you could do a little remodeling," Nefario said.

Antonio nodded, saying he would write a request letter to his home to tell everyone where he was and what he planned to do with his father's assets. El Macho was in prison for life, and Margo would kill him herself if he let his father out.

* * *

Telling Gru meant obvious consequences, as he was furious with her, but Dr. Nefario and Lucy defended the poor girl for doing this. Once Gru knew that nearly almost everyone else knew of the kid staying here, he was just flaming. Lucy took him into the next room, but Antonio was already packing, apologizing for all the trouble he had caused.

Margo smirked, saying it was probably better that he returned home and deal with the situation. Narfario offered to help as did Margo, but it didn't seem Gru was up to par for that quite yet. Antonio said his goodbyes after calling on a taxi to take him back home.

He hugged Margo goodbye, thanking her, and promising to stay in touch.

"You better not ditch me again," she said. He looked behind him before getting in the cab.

"Wouldn't think of it," he said, getting into the cab and driving away. Gru came storming out of the house, Lucy behind him. The cab had just driven away.

"MARGO!" Gru exclaimed.

"Polo?" she replied.

* * *

A/N: Yay, this one's done! It was a lot longer than I expected but I hope you guys enjoyed it.


End file.
